“There are two types of companies: those that have been hacked, and those who don’t yet know they have been hacked.” – John Chambers, former executive chairman and CEO of CISCO Systems.
670k Cyberattack Cases!!
There have been confirmed 670k cases of cyberattacks till June 2022 in India. A cybersecurity failure is a potential risk for businesses. While ransomware attacks could immobilize your business and impact your company’s performance, a sophisticated DoS attack could immobilize your entire network. And, these attacks eventually lead to data or financial losses.
Today, corporations need to step up their cybersecurity game. For starters, implementing a cybersecurity audit to fix security lapses in the network is imminent. Also, training employees on how to protect sensitive information is vital. You have to keep your company safe from outsiders.
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What Are Cyberattacks?
Cyberattacks are unauthorized attempts to steal, alter, or manipulate data to disable a computer network. These attacks could be launched from anywhere in the world by an individual or a group of cybercriminals with personal, criminal, or political motivations. Cyber risks are one of the biggest challenges faced by the world. Frequent cyberattacks and lack of adequate security measures are causing economic disruption, political turmoil, and personal loss.
Cybercriminals use sophisticated tools for launching cyberattacks on organizations, individuals, or governments to extract sensitive data. Most businesses, big and small, have suffered from major data security breaches, proving that these organizations are highly vulnerable to cyberattacks and data threats. Professionals are picking up cybersecurity courses in Kolkata to learn new skills and be job-ready. It’s a booming industry, with accelerated demands in the future.
Types of Cyberattacks
Some of the common types of cyberattacks are
1.Malware
This hard-to-detect software makes infected systems inoperable. They destroy, manipulate, or modify the data, making the system inoperable for usage.
2.Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Cybercriminals insert malicious code into websites or applications to extract sensitive data. They often use third-party resources such as JavaScript for XSS attacks, or Microsoft VBScript to run the attack.
3.Denial-of-service (DoS)
In denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, the cybercriminal makes the network or the infected system inoperable by flooding them with overwhelming traffic, triggering a crash. The motive behind this attack is to downgrade system performance, making it vulnerable to future attacks.
4. Backdoor Trojan
These digital pests are potentially dangerous. They work as a getaway program that could install malicious programs into the system, enabling cybercriminals to gain remote access and control of the network.
5. Ransomware
These sophisticated programs exploit the system vulnerabilities to encrypt system data. The cybercriminals then demand payment, threatening to delete or release sensitive information in public.
No one is safe from cyberattacks. Anyone from innocent householders to large corporations could fall victim to cyberattacks.
Cyberattacks In India
Most Indian corporations are facing acute cybersecurity gaps in their enterprise network. The Indian government pointed out there have been close to 670k cyberattacks in the country based on the report by Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). Starting from major telecom vendors to oil and gas conglomerates and restaurant chains have faced cyberattacks of some kind.
Some were headline-grabbing while others did not gain much attention from the crowd. Here are some of the incidents that made it into the primetime news.
1. Hacking into UIDAI Aadhar Software
In 2018, cyber criminals hacked into more than 200 government websites, leaking the Aadhar and other personal details of 1.1 billion Indians. The criminals were selling the details including Aadhar card, Pan card, and banking updates over WhatsApp for 500 INR.
2. 180 million Customer Details Sold to Dark Web
In April 2021, cybersecurity experts creating discovered an attacker selling 13 TB of data, including credit card records, customer names, phone numbers, and other details of Dominos India’s customers. Also, the hacker claimed to possess details of 250 employees of the company along with their Outlook mail archives till 2015. Everything was up for sale at 10 bitcoins (US$ 215k or 1 crore INR).
3. Security breach at third-party trading platform
Upstox, the Indian trading platform, experienced a data breach of know-your-customer (KYC) information. The company issued a public statement, requesting customers to reset their account passwords immediately. To prevent further attacks, the trading platform enhanced its cybersecurity security and launched bug bounty programs for ethical hackers to stress test their systems.
Data breaches and cyberattacks are real threats that could immobilize the business. Corporations should prioritize cyber audits and strategies for preventing these incidences. Companies are hiring trainers to educate their employers or taking hints from cybersecurity course details for upskilling themselves.
7 Ways To Avoid Cyber Attacks
Cybersecurity is essential for a business to safeguard itself and its data from impending attacks. Starting with cybersecurity initiatives could be tricky. Especially for someone with no experience or resources. You have to stay vigilant and take essential steps to keep your network safe. Here are a few steps to stay safe.
1. Training employees
Cybersecurity awareness among your employees is critical. So, start with training them at the earliest. Ask them to never click on links from unknown sources. Also, train them on procedures to send sensitive information. If the request seems odd, it is probably coming from suspicious sources.
2. Update software
Keep your system software updated. Always install the security patches and other updates to fix the security gaps. It will prevent hackers from exploiting the system vulnerabilities.
3. Change the passwords
Never keep easy-to-guess passwords. And keep updating them frequently.
4. Backup your data
Backing up your data keeps you protected from data loss or loss of operation in case of imminent cyberattacks.
5. Wi-Fi security
Hiding your Wi-Fi network from outsiders is one way to protect your system from hackers.
6. Controlled access
In many cases, hackers insert an infected USB drive containing malicious software into the system to gain access to the network. Long story short, keep your computers safe and install perimeter security systems to prevent break-ins.
7. Put the system behind a firewall
To defend your system from cyber threats, put it behind the firewall immediately. Also, install antivirus and anti-malware software for added protection.
Conclusion,
Cybersecurity is essential for protecting your business from online threats. And, Dataspace Security is making cybersecurity services accessible to all. You can reach us for unique and custom-made cybersecurity solutions that serve your business and your employees. Get in touch with our cybersecurity analysts for a cybersecurity audit. And if you liked our blog, do share it with your friends to spread awareness.